Spinning

Get up to speed

Sixty minutes on a stationary bike, to music, with an instructor. The rhythm sets the pace: sometimes you climb with heavy resistance, sometimes you sprint. The switching between the two is what makes this interval training rather than pedalling.

What kind of class is this?

We set the bike up for you at the start, seat height, handlebar distance, and this matters more than it sounds: a bad setup will make your knees and lower back hurt. Say it is your first time when you arrive.

After that you just pedal. You control the resistance the whole way, so whatever the instructor calls out, the load is in your hands.

How do I know if it suits me?

If you want cardio but running is too much for your joints, spinning is the obvious answer: no impact, your feet never hit the ground. It burns a lot of energy in a short time and improves cardiovascular fitness quickly.

As a beginner, keep the resistance moderate for the first few classes and skip the sprints. Nobody can see how hard you are working, the display is yours alone.

If you have a heart or blood pressure condition, talk to your doctor before this class: spinning can get very intense.

Why is it worth trying?

• High energy expenditure in sixty minutes
• Improves cardiovascular endurance quickly
• Easy on the joints: none of the loading that running brings
• You control the intensity throughout
• The music and the group carry you past the point where you would slow down alone